6.1 Quality assurance and further development

6.1.1 Evaluation of internal teaching quality

In each semester, the university, colleges and programs regularly organize and conduct mid-term and final teaching inspections, graduation project process inspections, teaching order inspections, and inspections on teaching plans, examination papers, and other basic teaching materials to timely identify and solve problems in the teaching and management process. For example, examination papers of the previous semester are randomly checked by the university and colleges each semester to evaluate the examination papers from the three aspects of examination paper grades, situation analysis, and improvement measures based on the developed examination paper evaluation table and supervise the standardization of examination papers. In each semester, the colleges will analyze the distribution of students’ test scores and evaluation of teachers, and make suggestions and requirements for teaching improvement.

6.1.2 Evaluation of external teaching quality

The school adheres to the employer feedback system. Through the questionnaire survey and interview analysis of employers, the college understands the actual value of graduates and the expectations of employers, and listen to their feedback and suggestions on the undergraduate training program. External supervision are introduced by participating in the undergraduate teaching level evaluation of ordinary colleges and universities organized by the Ministry of Education and the excellent undergraduate professional evaluation organized by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission; A teaching quality evaluation mechanism had been established that involves superior departments, employers, USST, teachers and students, and combines internal and external evaluations to enhance the evaluation, identify gaps, innovate the student training system, and promote the common growth of teachers and students.

6.2 Tools, methods and data

6.2.1 Number of students and graduation rate

The number of students in this program from 2016 to 2020 and their graduation status are set out in Table 6-1(the average length of studies is four years). The start and end time of each spring and autumn semester are essentially the same every year. Hence, the annual study time of students is fixed.

Table 6-1 Destinations of graduates of the Applied Chemistry Program

6.2.2 Students assessed

Students are required to take courses for 240 ECTS credits in four years. Courses that a student fails to pass will be recorded. At the beginning of every semester, the school examination committee will check the transcripts of every student. Those who fail the core course exams will not be able to start new course learning. Students who pass the National English Test Band 4 will be considered as qualified in their English courses. Students who have not obtained 240 ECTS will not be able to get a degree. Appendix Q shows a sample of the student’s transcript.

6.2.3 Examination score assessment and continuous statistics

Teachers submit student test scores after course exams in each semester (see Appendix R). The school arranges for dedicated personnel to analyze students’ scores and provide students with relevant suggestions based on the analysis results to improve their academic performance. If a student fails to pass the examinations of two modules, a special tutor will be arranged to supervise and guide his/her subsequent course study. Meanwhile, the school will keep in touch with the parents of students, and keep parents promptly informed of the students’ in-university performance. The school will reward those tutors who have achieved good guidance results.

6.2.4 Teaching quality evaluation by students

The quality of teaching can affect the quality of educating students. Hence, exerting the educating role of each course and monitoring the quality of teaching is the only way to foster virtue through education.

        For the evaluation of the teaching quality of specific courses, targeted assessment indicators are designed as a “benchmark” for teachers to standardize classroom teaching behavior. We adopt teachers’ quality, teaching content, teaching implementation, and teaching effect as evaluation indicators and set four evaluation levels (excellent, good, fair, and poor), which is conducive to evaluating the teaching behaviors of teachers comprehensively and objectively. For example, the specific assessment requirements set in the teacher quality include loud voice, clear articulation, smooth expression, adequate teaching preparation, standard teaching behavior, and familiarity with teaching content, which has reflected the student-oriented teaching philosophy, teaching by example, teaching and educating students. It should be noted that classroom teaching includes not only theoretical teaching but also practical teaching. The corresponding assessment indicators are also set for practical teaching. Students’ assessment of teaching quality is an essential part of the teaching evaluation system. Firstly, students submit an evaluation form of the teachers’ teaching quality before selecting courses in each semester; otherwise, they will not be allowed to select courses for the new semester. Secondly, the evaluation suggestions in the evaluation form are analyzed and used to improve teachers’ teaching approaches. The evaluation results will also be used to evaluate the quality of teaching and be linked to the teachers’ work performance, which can significantly improve their teaching awareness and help them increase the quality of education and teaching.